Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-21

ISL t9lts We mEst al aprfect4le t144 /
y the Issders 90 tte fznks ass stinnfnz /
loo. Hsw Ensny itsssseds q ths brave
mes VINO followed Grznf. sad Logan.
and Gsfaeid. and Hanosck. IN the asys
81 tbsig vistoriss. have also followed
ihen 70 the grave. T1sre sre tie
thouSbss and Ftfss ious tbat must
nAtursily eons 70 tie nisds Of all s5I-
diess wban they amnnsily c0me ioRefhsr.
Tasrs are aino fboaRhEs snd FsHse-
ti0us tAst tkess annuaI meetings and
tais svsg-erovinR 6s2sh ron sbsu.d
bring 70 she minds Of tboss cf % sham
aRs OF the foEes Of eircunst4noss pre-
vented from sharing In thc trials and
alories u shs var. Il d iuposssb8s for
. man vito has nos seen active scFyiss
70 appreciate tie haFdships Of military
serves. To ssy nothing Of the pAia Of
parting for months Of years FROM all
that We bold dear on saEth, not knowing
Whistler ws shall ever return alive. abe
actual physieal soiisring and. hardsbips
thst soldiers undergo IN the Aeid are
s1eh, a. IN large maisrisy Of cases. 20
undermine the constitution sad impair
the health Of even ths strongest men.
When ws consider these fsets and think
Of the thousands CT Veterans Who.
th0aeh not tsoaniesliy entitled 70 q
pension from the GoveFnment. aEe
bfeksn down 10 health and are really is
nsec Of assistance. We are prone 10 think
that ell thst . grateful country
can DO hiss net been done to repay these
men for their voluntary sacrifices. Mas
private pension bills have been vetoed.
although IL clearly appeared that the
bens6eiariss we're deserving veterans.
lie vetoss we're all placed upon techni-
esl grounds. Whether the grounds CT
the vesoes we're sound OF unsoand II il
not eaE purpose nov 20 discuss We
only desire 70 suggest that the laws "a
they nov stand do not fully cover ali
the cases where Government Tslisf
should unqussti0Rsbly be given. In
s0me Of he older and wealthier States
Of tbs East, systems Of State aid have
been Instituted 10 cover eases that the
National Government do not reach. II Is
estimated that II all tie States we're as
liberal il their systems of State aid as
is Massachusetts,. sGO0. 10000 would an.
nnaIly be expended in pensions. Il Is
20 be remembered, however, that aIl
States are Dot a. wealthy as Massaehu-
setts. and further. that this Is peculiarly
3 case for National action. There is
annually large surplus above all sx-
psndisuFes in ibe National treasury,
aud this. too. after Iibsral payments
toward = reduction Of the aebt. Ger.
tainly Il shoald not be said that great
and wealthy cOanlFy like ours leaves
anything undone toward paying It's Just
debt 20 lie soldiers. We are heartily in
favor Of all leRiilation tending 10 this
end, and We regret that q Democrats
President has seen fit 10 veto, not only
special pension bills bus general bill,
the terms Of which we're none too gen
srous aud broad.
When We consider the zeal and pa
tFiotism that organized and disciplined
from all the walks Of life 50 army Of
millions Of men, we can understand
why It Is possible for this country TO feel
secure with q standing army OF less than
$1,000 men. The country appreciates
that We have in the body Of veterans
who compose the Grand Army a reserve
c0rps that can be called into action at
any time. They are men who have been
tried and not found wanting. To be
ore our natural position is such that
We need feel littls apprehension of 8
foreign attack hy land hnt wa faraiar.
complications are possible which woald
neoeesitate extensive preparations to
guard against an invasion even by land
Az all events. Il gives feeling Of seeur.
ity 10 know that 10 cass OF need 40 army
Of veterans could BE- summoned ane
prepared ia a short time for active ser
vioe. This 10 aud of itself is worth
sometbicR. and We appEehend that we
need have little fear Of dealing too gen.
srously with our soldiers. II Is SIG
ulfioant fact that OF the three million
men who took ap arms in defense Of the
Government, less than three hundred
thousand are nov on the tension rolls
Postsrity certainly owes something 10
the generation that settled Onos and
for all the sectional differences
thai bad hAFassed shs country
ftom Ice birth. We have already
paid OF more than one thousand
nillisni Of dollars Of TIE indebtedness
insured en- account Of the war, over
Que third Of the whole amount. Ger
tainly this 10 doing a great deal. and
even u the decrease Of that debt has ts
cease for tune. which voald not, how
ever, be necessary, In order that the de-
elining years Of our veterans shsuld be
made more comfortable, we do not think
that the country would complain. There
are, of course, a great .psuy msn vhe
belong 20 the Grand Army Who do Dot
need or ask for Government assistance.
Bat there are. on the other hand. many
more VITO woaid velc0ms the assistance
hat regular monthly pension would
rive them. We would sparn the IN
iinaation that such pension wsald